Sierra Nevada Snow Wit White IPA | Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

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Reviews by lochef81:

This one pours a very hazy golden straw color with a slight white head and little lacing. The aroma is very Belgian with lots of sweet yeast and bread notes spiked with a little bit of citrus hops. It sips quite light and smooth with very little coating and lingering body. The flavor is a nice blend of European yeast and malts and west coast hops. Sweet on the front end with all the Belgian yeast followed by a hoppy citrus bitterness on the finish. This is a very nice beer and a total surprise from a brewer known for their very American style ipas.

More User Reviews:

Sierra Nevada Snow Wit Winter White. A pun on "snow white?" Say, what do Californians know about snow or winter, anyway? Me, I'm sick of it, and I could do without a reminder. What can we do, it's everywhere we turn. Don't look out the window, don't leave the house, let's have a summer beer, and pretend.

Hey, what's the official word: "Snow Wit is brewed with seven varieties of experimental dwarf hops. (Okay, bringing the Snow White reference full circle.), giving it a complex, grapefruit and herbal hop character accentuated by spicy notes of an authentic Belgian yeast."

A - Hazy banana yellow, with a one-finger, white head of even size bubbles.

S - Strong aroma of grapefruit, Belgian yeasts, and clove.

T - "Grapefruit forward" would be a colossal understatement; it's almost like a mix between beer and grapefruit juice. Some clove and cracked pepper in the mid-palate. No malts anywhere to be tasted. Finishes with an almost chemical tasting astringency. A mind-numbingly simple beer that gets tired after a few sips.

M - Light bodied, almost to the point of being watery. Acidic. Did not mesh particularly well with the taste in my opinion.

O - A real misfire here. If this is what "dwarf hops" taste like then maybe SN should stick with the fully grown variety.

Smell: Odd mix of coriander and hops, comes across as floral, and a bit like a Saison.

Taste: A bitter lemon lime peel tonic at the front really reinforces the Saison profile for me along with the fruit esters. A lot of lemon, which often doesn't do much for me in a beer (a fresh lemon wedge is a different animal; I'm talking brewing with lemons). A grassy hop note as well, not a hop driven beer like an IPA should be.

Not very partial towards Belgian IPA's (too many different things going on). However, I'm quite partial towards Sierra Nevada. Let's see how they do here. Here goes:

A: Crystal-clear yellow. Pours a nice head that leaves a lot of lacing. Some carbonation, but not a lot considering the style. OK. Also a lot less yeast than in other beers of the style.

S: Mix of coriander, Belgian spices, candied sugar and...hops. Hops are piney and grapefruity. However, rather than each of the scents complementing one another, they produce a rather weird concoction.

T: OK, but not great. Candied sugar, spices followed by some hops. However, it's quite watery. I'm used to a more bready mouthfeel from Belgian beers - this is too different from what I'm used to.

Poured from a bottle with a packaged on date of 5/9/14; into a pub glass.
Appearance - a cloudy yellowish orange, with bubbly carbonation that builds a creamy, thick white head. Lacing is superb!
Smell - a spicy, herbal nose with banana, mandarin oranges and cloves!
Taste - tasty and refreshing, but not much that suggests an IPA, let alone a Belgian IPA.
Feel - very little bitterness, more of a wit or Hefe feel. Very nice, but even the "white" IPA label is misleading.
Overall - easy to kick back with a few of these, however, I get the feeling the characterization of white IPA may have been a ploy to sell this as apart of the 4 Way IPA mixed 12!

Taste: Like it smells, a yeasty, spicy, and fruity Belgian IPA taste with good notes of citrus and spice. Belgian yeast with notes of coriander, peppers, and clove. Citrus hop notes of orange peel, lemon zest, mango, and grapefruit. Earthy and floral hops with notes of grass. Fruit esters of banana and apple along with a slight bubblegum note. Pale malt with notes of wheat, grains, straw, and cracker. A pretty solid taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a medium to high level of carbonation. Creamy, spicy, juicy, and very smooth with a drying finish.

Overall: A pretty good take on a Belgian style IPA. Good mix of yeast and fruit esters with hops.

A: Hazy and cloudy straw colored brew with fizzies floating to the top of glass.

S: Wheat. Some citrus notes but again. . . Where's the hops ?

T: Good. Nothing to get excited about but a solid wheat beer and nice flavors.

M: Easy drinking. Smooth yet just a slight crisp as with alot of wheats.

O: Snow Wit will be a nice addition to the many wheat beers that will soon flood the shelves this summer. S.N. advertises this beer as an ipa but I really don't see it as such. A little dissapointed with the lack of hop flavors so far from the 4 way.